All devotions are written by our Founding Pastor Bill Elliff. More blogs and books from Bill at billelliff.com.

Esther 8-10 | Simple Men and A Sovereign God

It is one of the wonders of the world. One of the most unexplainable things in human history. In fact, if you divorce God from the story, it is impossible to explain.

 
God takes simple men and women and uses them to change history.
 
Look at a young girl named Esther and her uncle and guardian, Mordecai. Esther was a slave who became the queen of the largest government in the known world.
 
And we read of Mordecai, who through a sovereign plan of God was "second only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, one who sought the good of his people and the one who spoke for the welfare of his whole nation" (Esther 10:3)
 
FOOLISH THINGS
 
The Apostle Paul, who was himself such an anomaly, would later remind us under the inspiration of the Spirit why God operates this way.
 
"For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God. (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)
 
God is unlimited in His ability to change the world through simple men. He raises up a Noah to save the world, and imprisoned Joseph to save the entire world; a young shepherd named David to build the greatest empire in history ... and on and on.
 
PROFOUND QUESTIONS
 
Such glorious irony raises a few questions that must be continually answered.
 
1. What is it in my small life that I think God cannot handle?
 
2. Do I realize that my simple life, and the life of the humblest person I know, can be mightily used by God?
 
3. If God is using me in some measure, am I boasting ONLY in Him?
 
Never underestimate God. He uses who He chooses to accomplish His work. And happy are those who cooperate fully with Him.
 
Father, thank You for confounding the world’s way. Thank you for using humble men and women throughout history to accomplish Your work. Never let me underestimate You. You can change anything … and You can use anyone You desire to accomplish astounding work.

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